Nothing
by Seething Pyro
Summary: An outraged Slytherin, a distraught Gryffindor. Can love bring them together, or will other factors get in the way?
1. Friends?

CHAPTER 1~ Friends?  
  
"Don't leave me?" she pleaded. "Please. I need you." That was the last time she had ever heard from him. He turned away from her that night and left her in the dark streets of London. Alone. A fifteen-year-old girl, all hopes of a future with him were left shattered so he could be with another. It was so unfair.  
  
That was a year ago. Hermione Granger had not heard from Viktor Krum since that night in the middle of August before her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, her two best friends in the world had helped her on the road to recovery from the terrible heartbreak. Within only weeks she was back to her normal bookwormish self, always on their cases about class work and homework.  
  
12 Grimmauld Place was so much different with the absence of Sirius Black. Harry still hadn't recovered from losing his godfather, and still had a fairly bad temper, but was working on that aspect of things, especially when it came to Ron and Hermione.  
  
So far, things had been going fairly well that summer. The Order of the Phoenix had been keeping in close contact even though Lord Voldemort had been defeated a few months before.  
  
Harry had been the one to finally bring Voldemort to his end. He didn't use his wand. It wouldn't have worked because of its bond with Voldemort's wand. Instead, Harry stabbed him with the sword of Godric Gryffindor. For the second time, Fawkes and the Sorting Hat came to the rescue. If it hadn't been for the beautiful Phoenix, Harry would have died along with Voldemort.  
  
Needless to say, the wizarding world celebrated for weeks. Well for the most part anyway. There were some families that went into a period of mourning and rage. The Crabbes, Goyles, Parkinsons, MacNairs, and Malfoys were among the many families of Death Eaters.  
  
Draco Malfoy was one that went into horrible fits of rage and terror after the fall of Voldemort. This, of course, was expected by all. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was a Death Eater. He received the Dementor's Kiss (the Dementor's had all returned to the Ministry once Voldemort was defeated).  
  
Every time Draco saw Harry, Ron, or Hermione, he would throw insults and would have thrown jinxes as well had they not been in school. Most of this torture was directed at Harry and Ron although Hermione never left without something being said. He was often reprimanded by all of the professors, even his favorite, Professor Severus Snape.  
  
Snape had known Draco since the day he was born. He was somewhat of an uncle to Draco and hated to see the rage and anguish that was clearly written on the young man's face. They often talked, but it did nothing, for Draco was a very strong-minded, stubborn teenager.  
  
It was true that Draco had been beaten by his father up until the age of fifteen. That was when Lucius realized how strong his son really was. A mutual respect formed between father and son. Draco may not have loved his father like a son should, but he respected him and was very willing and well prepared to follow in his father's footsteps once he had finished school.  
  
Three weeks before the start of term, the Hogwarts letters were sent out to all of the students. Hermione was very excited upon receiving hers because it stated that she would be Head Girl for the upcoming year.  
  
As she read further down the sheet of parchment, however, she became increasingly upset. The Head Boy and Head Girl would be sharing a common room to "improve inter-house relationships." That part did upset her, although not as much as the next bit: the Head Boy was to be none other that Draco Malfoy, git extraordinaire.  
  
She was tempted to step down as Head Girl right then and there, but that would mean she had already let Malfoy win, and she was not about to let that happen.  
  
When Draco received his letter, he crumpled up the parchment that said he was Head Boy into a ball and threw it into the fire. He did not want to share a common room with a disgusting, good for nothing Mudblood for the entire year, especially that Mudblood. Her very being sickened him, although, he had to admit, he liked her better than both Potthead and Weasel combined.  
  
The remainder of the summer flew by that year. Before anyone realized it, it was September first, and they were on the Hogwarts express speeding toward the castle that had become known to so many as "home."  
  
Hermione and Draco sat in the Head Boy and Girl compartment. Neither of them spoke a word to the other. They just sat there and read.  
  
On occasion, Hermione would steal a glance at Draco. She noticed that he looked very different now than at the beginning of the summer. He had grown at least three or four inches and was no longer scrawny. His shoulders were a bit broader and the muscles in his upper arms were defined through the tight black shirt he wore. He was also wearing black dress pants and dragon hide boots. His silver-blonde hair was falling over his eyes (apparently he had lost his hair gel). There were also dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had not slept in days.  
  
Draco noticed Hermione's glances. He too would glance up every so often, but it was because his vision would become blurry when asphyxiated on the pages for too long.  
  
To him, she was still the same Mudblood-dressed in baggy jeans and a t- shirt. She still had the same bushy hair, only it was now a little shorter and pulled into a ponytail at the top of her head.  
  
Finally, getting annoyed with her numerous glances, he said, "What the hell do you keep looking at, Mudblood?"  
  
Startled at first, she couldn't find her voice, but soon responded with, "Certainly not you, Ferret Boy. My eyes simply become restless and I have to avert my gaze elsewhere."  
  
Draco shook his head and turned back to his book. She really did irritate him-always having a comeback to shoot at him, never caring much for her appearance, just being a goody two shoes. She was totally opposite of everything he admired-pureblooded; straight, sleek hair; revealing clothes; a bad girl.  
  
Hermione, on the other hand, longed for someone like Draco. Sure Harry and Ron had their heroic qualities, but Draco was much more breathtaking. He was from an esteemed pureblooded family; his features were gorgeous, especially his hair and his eyes; and he was a bad boy.  
  
Hermione knew she could only ever dream of one day being with him. She despised him, yet fancied him. He was beautiful, yet utterly horrible at the same time. She didn't think she could ever forgive him after all he had put her trough throughout the years, not even if he begged. That, of course, would only ever happen in her dreams.  
  
As they neared the school, the Head Boy and Head Girl changed into their robes. Neither had ever been more bored on the trip to Hogwarts. The long silence made the few hours seem like days.  
  
Draco had never been happier to see Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, or Gregory Goyle when he hopped off the train. Sure Crabbe and Goyle had no brains and Pansy was well Pansy, but at that moment anything was better than the silence shared with Granger.  
  
Hermione wanted to worship the ground Harry and Ron walked on when they got off the train. At that point, she just needed to talk. Her throat had become dry on the long ride and she didn't like that feeling one bit.  
  
Draco got into a horseless, well thestral-pulled carriage with his posse while Hermione jumped in one with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna Lovegood.  
  
Pansy tried to sit on Draco's lap, but he scooted over so she landed hard on the bench. Draco smirked to himself while Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly. Pansy looked very put out as she looked over at Draco.  
  
"Something wrong?" she questioned with a worried glance.  
  
"No, everything's fine. Why?" he responded a bit icily.  
  
"You just seem distressed. Do you want me to.help you with anything?"  
  
"I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, Pansy, but thank you for the offer."  
  
Contrary to popular belief among the students, Draco didn't fancy Pansy Parkinson. Although she had the look, she didn't have the brains. He had never kissed her or let her touch him in any way even though she often hinted that she wanted him.  
  
In truth, he didn't know why she wasted so much time and energy on him. She had slept with most of the male Slytherins and even some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Draco had always been her main target, but she really couldn't get close to him. He wouldn't allow it.  
  
"All right," she sighed as she took to staring out the window.  
  
At that moment, Draco realized that maybe he was looking for all the wrong characteristics in a significant other. Maybe, just maybe, the slutty, brainless girls weren't what he wanted. He could have any of them, but so far he had not taken one. His thoughts betrayed him. Could he possibly want the modest, bookwormish type?  
  
Hermione laughed along with everyone else in the carriage as Ron did an impression of a squirrel eating a nut. A nervous feeling suddenly overtook her and she stopped laughing. It seemed that Ron was inconspicuously trying to move closer to her. There was nowhere for her to go, however, since she was pressed up against the side of the carriage.  
  
Everybody else was still too busy laughing to realize that Ron had placed his hand on the skin of Hermione's leg and started moving it upward. She tried to slap his hand away playfully, but he continued his journey upward under her skirt.  
  
The carriage suddenly jolted to a halt and Hermione jumped out as fast as she could. The rest hopped out after her and followed her into the Great Hall.  
  
Luna headed over to the Ravenclaw table as the others went to sit with their fellow Gryffindors. Ron sat down next to Hermione, which created a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was one of her best friends, and she didn't think it was right for him to touch her that way.  
  
As Dumbledore stood to make his announcements, Ron's hand returned to her leg and began its journey once again. If there hadn't been the silence, she would have said something to him, but she didn't want to create a scene.  
  
As his hand moved ever upward, she squeezed her legs shut, so he wouldn't be able to touch her there. That didn't stop him, however. He wedged his hand between her legs, and pushed her panties aside.  
  
The Sorting Ceremony had just started, so Hermione knew it would be a while before she could do anything. She glanced at Ron, who made it appear as if he were paying attention to what was going on.  
  
He shoved two fingers inside her and began moving them in and out at a rapid pace. Hermione bit her lip to keep from crying out as he shoved another finger in her.  
  
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Not only did she dislike the feeling of his fingers in her, but also the pace at which he was moving them hurt. She kept her head bowed. No one was to see her like that. It wasn't right.  
  
As the Sorting came to a close, Ron finally pulled his fingers out of her and began digging into the food that had magically appeared before them.  
  
Hermione felt torn as Ron and Harry began talking casually about Quidditch. She couldn't eat or think straight even. Why had Ron done that to her? They were only friends. That was all she wanted him to be.  
  
Draco was still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted as dinner drew to a close. He stayed behind as the rest of the students in the Great Hall filed out behind the prefects. He noticed Granger still sitting at the Gryffindor table, head bowed, seemingly distraught over something. He glared at her as they approached Dumbledore, who beckoned to them.  
  
"Welcome back Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said with a smile and the usual twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "As you have been informed, this year we are trying something new to hopefully improve inter-house relations, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I realize that the two of you might not be too fond of this new arrangement, so we took the liberty of creating a portal to each the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms. Now if you'll follow me, I'll direct you to the common room."  
  
Finally, after six floors and a few corridors, the trio reached a mirror in the middle of nowhere. Hermione and Draco shared a disbelieving glance as they stared into the mirror.  
  
"This," Dumbledore began, "is the entrance to your common room. The password is 'ignorance spread lies.'"  
  
The mirror's sleek surface suddenly transformed into a silvery substance then became a hole in the wall that revealed a spacious living quarters.  
  
They all stepped through the hole into the common room. It was painted a pale grey and the drapes were a light blue. All the furniture was black- the chairs, tables, desks, couches, everything.  
  
Hermione thought it was magnificent, but Draco was impassive. The rooms in the Malfoy Manor were much larger and more exquisite.  
  
Dumbledore then quickly pointed out the bedrooms and the bathroom that separated them then swept out of the common room, his purple robes swishing behind him.  
  
Draco and Hermione looked at each other for some time without a word passing between them. It was a very awkward situation. They had been enemies since the day they met six years before, and now they had been asked to share a common room for their last and what was supposed to be their best year of school. Both were very uncomfortable.  
  
Finally Draco broke the eye contact and looked out into the starry night sky. "Well goodnight, Mudblood," he said with one last evil glare in her direction before ascending the stairs to his room and slamming the door behind him.  
  
"'Night, Ferret Boy," she mumbled as she turned to her room.  
  
Draco lay face down on his bed silently cursing himself for acting like a jackass once again. As he though about it, he rolled over onto his back and stared up at the canopy of his bed. No, he wasn't a jackass. He was Draco Malfoy. Malfoys don't second-guess anything. What he had said was perfectly acceptable. On that note, he drifted off into another dreamless sleep.  
  
Hermione sat on her bed watching the stars in the velvet sky. She knew she would never understand the inner workings of Draco Malfoy, and frankly, she didn't know if she wanted to. The only thing she wanted to know was what she had done to him to make him treat her that way. It didn't seem fair. No, it wasn't fair, not at all. Her head was pounding as she placed it on the soft pillows. Sleep wouldn't come easy that night; it never did, so she closed her eyes and blocked all thought from her mind in hopes that sleep would soon overtake her body. It did.  
  
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were in for what was sure to be a long year. 


	2. Still Enemies?

CHAPTER 2~  
  
Draco awoke the next morning and groggily walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower before heading down to breakfast. Granger must have already been in there fore there was still a faint smell of vanilla lingering in the warm air.  
  
He rolled his eyes as he stepped into the shower. It was so typical of girls to make themselves look and smell good, even though Granger didn't seem like that kind of person. She must have still cared some about her appearance.  
  
Draco dressed quickly into his school robes then headed down the stairs toward the common room. He figured that Granger already left for breakfast so she could talk to Potthead and Weasel. But when he reached the bottom of the staircase, he saw Granger with her legs tucked under her on the couch with a book in her hand. He had no intentions of speaking to her, but she spoke first.  
  
"Morning, Malfoy." She raised her eyes to look at him.  
  
"Morning, Mudblood. It seems like you're already being the overachiever that you are," he responded with a hint of malice in his voice.  
  
Hermione looked down at the book she was holding. "Oh, this has nothing to do with school. I was just reading it for fun. People do that you know." She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.  
  
"Special. I'm going to breakfast. Good day, Mudblood." He started to walk out of the mirror, but stopped when he heard his name.  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
"What?" he snapped without turning around.  
  
"Do you mind if I walk with you?"  
  
He turned to her with a confused, questioning look. This was all new to him. "Why would you wanna do that?" Instead of his usual venomous tone his voice was soft and held a note of puzzlement.  
  
Granger looked down at the floor and bit her lip. No, she couldn't tell him the real reason. He would laugh at her then tell the entire school. That would be much too embarrassing. She wouldn't be able to deal with it, not at all. "Well, I just thought it would be good if we show everyone that we can work together since we are Head Boy and Girl. And maybe the houses will have better bonds. It could be a benefit," she said slowly, hoping that he would believe her.  
  
The confused look left his face, and his voice was almost back to its normal state. "And ruin my reputation? Are you mad? I can't be seen with you. You're a Mudblood. I'm a Pureblood. So no, it's not happening." He stalked out of the room and left Hermione there to cry.  
  
She didn't go to breakfast that day and didn't plan on going to any classes, but Malfoy stepped through the mirror. He looked at her quickly and noticed that she had been crying.  
  
He sat down on the chair across from her. "How come you weren't at breakfast? Did you expect to go to class without your schedule?" He sounded almost amused. Hermione Granger skip a class? Ha! That was funny.  
  
"For you information, Malfoy, I didn't go to breakfast because of certain people, and no, I wasn't planning on going to class today because there are some things that I have to work out."  
  
Draco shook his head and looked at her. "Here's your schedule anyway. You should go to class. It is the first day after all. What do you think everyone would say about their new Head Girl? I know what I'd say.Slacker." He smirked as he started to stand again. "And Granger, you might want to hurry. We have Advanced Potions in exactly eight minutes and twenty-three seconds down in the dungeons. Remember, we have N.E.W.Ts this year."  
  
Hermione looked shocked. Why would he care if she went to class or not? "Can you wait for me then, please? I just have to grab my bag."  
  
He inhaled sharply as if agitated, but agreed nonetheless. After all, it was his fault that she hadn't gone down to breakfast, but why he was feeling guilty about it was beyond any logical thought.  
  
Draco and Hermione stepped through the door right as the bell signaled for the beginning of class. Both exhaled and took the last two seats in the front of the room. Neither appeared to be too thrilled with the situation, but there was nothing that either of them could do.  
  
Snape entered the dank room and began the lesson. He said that they better be happy with who they were sitting next to because that person would be their partner for the remainder of the year. Draco groaned softly and glared at Granger. She just shrugged at him. Nothing could be done about it now.  
  
Snape informed them that for the first month they'd be brewing the Polyjuice Potion. He didn't even lecture about messing it up since only students who knew what they were doing were taking the class. They didn't start the potion that day, but took notes instead.  
  
Every time Draco looked at Hermione, she appeared to be staring off into space. Something was obviously troubling her. Once he'd kick her, she'd glare at him then start writing again.  
  
This was not the same Granger that Draco had known for the past six years. She was preoccupied. She wasn't even paying attention in the most difficult class they were taking! Maybe it was all his fault. He had hurt her before breakfast, but he didn't care. Did he?  
  
He averted his eyes up to her face again. It seemed as if she were staring right through the board Snape was writing notes on. Finally, feeling frustrated, he tore a piece of parchment from his book and wrote:  
  
**What the hell is wrong with you today?**  
  
And he slid it across the desk to her.  
  
Hermione glanced down at the parchment then up at Draco.  
  
**What the hell would you care?**  
  
She scribbled down and sent it back.  
  
Draco took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. It was not something he did often, or well for that matter.  
  
**I don't, but somehow I feel responsible for you looking completely lost and confused. Are you mad at me for this morning?**  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. How someone could be so dense was inconceivable.  
  
**I'm mad at you because of the past six years, Malfoy. I only expected that kind of reaction from you this morning. And no, nothing that's been going on this year, surprisingly, is your fault.**  
  
Draco sighed. Whether out of relief or whatever, he did not know, but now he was just plain curious.  
  
**Care to tell me about it?**  
  
Hermione could feel her anger level rising again.  
  
**Like hell I do! I could never trust you! Do you think I could forget everything you've done to me and just spill everything to you? You're probably going to turn out to be the next Voldemort or something. There is no way I will tell you anything!**  
  
Draco felt blood rising to his face. She had no right to predict what he was going to do with his life. She had no right to accuse him of being as psychopathic as Voldemort. Yes, he had wanted to be a Death Eater to make his father proud, but he would never want to lead a band as ruthless and unforgiving as the Death Eaters.  
  
**I never asked you to trust me. I know that would be a stretch for the perfect Gryffindor Mudblood. For once in my pathetic life, I was concerned for the well being of another, and you could care less. This is exactly why I choose not to associate myself with your type. You are ungrateful and undeserving. I don't know why I even bothered in the first place. Oh and by the way, I do not want to grow up to be a psychopathic murderer! I aspire to be more that that; more than my father ever was.**  
  
Hermione couldn't believe that those words were written by his hand. Concern? She never knew he could feel that way. She began to feel guilty, but didn't have a chance to respond because the bell rang and Malfoy was gone before she could say one word.  
  
Draco headed up to Transfigurations. He thought he heard someone call his name, but he didn't turn around. It was probably Pansy.  
  
"Malfoy!"  
  
He heard it louder this time and turned with an aggravated look on his face. "What do you want, Mudblood?" he hissed when she caught up to him.  
  
"I-well I want to apologize-"  
  
"Well save it," he interrupted. "I don't need your worthless apologies. You can't take back what's already been said. You can't take back the fact that something you said actually hurt me."  
  
"And you've never hurt me?!" she screamed incredulously as she stepped in front of him to block his path. "Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"  
  
"No," he stated simply. "I've never had the urge to apologize." He stepped around her and into Professor McGonagall's classroom, leaving her to trail in behind him.  
  
Upset and frustrated, Hermione took a seat in the back of the room. Now she had the fact that she had cared about what Malfoy had said on her conscious on top of what happened the previous day. It was almost too much to handle. She felt like she was about to have a nervous breakdown.  
  
Within a few minutes, Ron and Harry strolled in. Ron sat next to Hermione and Harry next to Ron.  
  
"Hey, 'Mione," Ron said with a smile.  
  
"Leave me alone, Weasley. I have nothing to say to you," she responded icily.  
  
Ron was taken aback. "What do you mean? Are you feeling okay? I didn't see you at breakfast this morning. Did Malfoy do something to you?"  
  
Hermione glared at him. "No, Ron. Malfoy did not do anything to me. In fact, you are the reason why I didn't go to breakfast. I have no desire to be anywhere near you right now. What you did to me yesterday was totally horrid. I hate you for it!" She didn't realize how loud she had been speaking until she noticed the rest of the class looking at her. Her face turned red, and she put her head in her arms.  
  
When she felt a hand on her arm she snapped her head up. "Ron, don't even- " She stopped when she saw that Harry and Ron were deep in conversation.  
  
Malfoy was sitting on the other side of her. "Maybe you should go to the common room and calm down a bit," he suggested. "I'll get your work for you."  
  
Hermione looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "W-why? You said yourself that I shouldn't miss the first day of classes. I'll be fine. I can manage. Really."  
  
Draco shook his head at her. "You are obviously very upset and you look like you're about ready to have a mental breakdown. You cannot focus like that. Come on, I'll walk you there."  
  
Hermione stood slowly, still unsure of this idea. Draco picked up her book bag and began to escort her toward the door when Professor McGonagall walked in.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, where do you think you are going?" she asked in a very stern voice.  
  
Draco explained what he knew to her quietly. She looked a little surprised, but allowed them both to take the rest of the day off. She said she wanted Draco to keep an eye on Hermione so she wouldn't try to go to any other classes.  
  
Once they were out in the hall, Draco put his arm around her shoulders to steady her some. If Hermione cared she didn't say anything about it. She just let him walk her back to their common room.  
  
Draco let Hermione sit on the large sofa. When she noticed that he was going to sit somewhere else, she pulled him down next to her. "Please stay close to me?" she whispered in a pleading voice. Draco nodded and put his arm around her. Hermione seemed to like this because she snuggled up close to him and shut her eyes lightly.  
  
"Granger, I know you hate me, but can you please tell me what's wrong so that maybe I can help you?"  
  
A soft sigh escaped her lips. On one hand it would be nice to tell someone what it was that was troubling her, but on the other hand she didn't know if it was Malfoy that she wanted to tell. She was sure that he would just laugh at her and tell her that she was stupid, but she needed someone, and no one else showed even the slightest bit of interest.  
  
"All right, but let's clear something up first. I don't hate you. I just hate some of the things you do to me. If I hated you, I wouldn't let you so close to me. And before I tell you what's wrong, you have to promise that you won't laugh at me or make fun of me." She tilted her head slightly to look into his eyes. The captivated her. It was as if she couldn't look away.  
  
"I promise."  
  
She took a deep breath than began, "I've always known that Ron has liked me as more than a friend. He makes it so obvious sometimes, but the problem with that is I think of him more as a brother than anything. Yesterday when we were coming here in the carriages he started touching my leg and staring at me like he was a hungry dog. When the carriage stopped, I jumped out right away. I didn't want to be anywhere near him, but he sat next to me at the table. During the Sorting Ceremony he-he started well he was um he was." she trailed off and started to cry.  
  
Draco held her closer to him and rubbed her arms gently. "Come on, you can tell me. What did he do?"  
  
"He was fingering me, and there was n-nothing I could to about it except sit there and bite my lip. I-I never thought that he would do something like that. And-and then he just went along like everything was fine. I know you want to laugh. Go ahead. I don't even care anymore."  
  
Draco continued rubbing her arm in a soothing manner. "No, I don't want to laugh. That was a horrible thing for him to do. It's no wonder you can't think straight."  
  
Hermione blinked back more tears as she looked up at him. "Well what do you think I should do? I can't avoid him. We have a lot of the same classes."  
  
"Why don't you just tell him how you feel about him?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk to him about anything. Can't you just beat him up or something?"  
  
"I will if you want me to, but then I'd have to beat up Wonder Boy as well. You know the Weasel would have Scar Face jump in to protect him."  
  
Hermione sighed once again. "Forget it then. Harry didn't do anything, and I don't want him hurt as well. I'll just stay away from Ron as much as I can." Her head was pounding from being so stressed out.  
  
Draco was feeling very uncomfortable just then. He really didn't know what to say to her. Here he was, trying to comfort his enemy. Were they still enemies? He didn't know. Why was he all of a sudden feeling so different around her? His thoughts were like the plague. He tried to block them out, but his attempts were futile.  
  
Hermione fell asleep in his arms. He didn't even realize it until about a half hour later. He sighed as he looked down at her pale face. She seemed so peaceful when she was sleeping, but he knew that when she awoke everything would come back to taunt her. He too soon fell asleep with his head rested atop Hermione's. 


End file.
